LSSC: Season Five Episode Talk

[DXD526]

I wish Stephen would stop showing clips of 45. He can describe them, I shouldn't have to go through the agony of seeing them. I keep having to mute during the monologue. 

[Hooper]

Quote

I wish Stephen would stop showing clips of 45. He can describe them, I shouldn't have to go through the agony of seeing them.

Youtube is your friend.   I love Stephen and Seth Meyers, but the fast-forward slider is the only way I can bear to watch them, or anything else that insists on showing clips of the person who lost the 2016 popular vote by 3 million.  I 'spoze somebody has to show the actual clips as proof that yes, he really did say that, but I can't stand watching or hearing the same clip a dozen times in a day.

[DanaMB]

Stephen and his wife are so freaking cute.

[Annber03]

I loved her finding that framed recipe Stephen had made up for his mom when he was a kid. That's freaking precious. 

[ABay]

It was adorable that he was nervous.

[ruby24]

I'm finding the constant interaction with the family annoying. Sorry.

[ahisma]

18 hours ago, DanaMB said:

Stephen and his wife are so freaking cute.

My favorite was her saying the first thing she wants to do out of quarantine is go to yoga class. And he says, “Well I would go visit your parents and give them a hug. Because I love them.” 😂

(And then there’s a joke about mom having an affair with the yoga teacher! 😂😂)

[lookeyloo]

I love this show "at home".  I also like Seth Meyers in his attic.

[Lifesabeach]

Robert DeNiro 💜. So articulate and astute.  

[Harry24]

19 hours ago, ruby24 said:

I'm finding the constant interaction with the family annoying. Sorry.

It's funny.  Just last night I thought to myself: "I just LOVE the family interactions."

I can see how they could be annoying if you're not charmed.  Luckily for me, I'm charmed.

[shapeshifter]

1 minute ago, Harry24 said:

19 hours ago, ruby24 said:

I'm finding the constant interaction with the family annoying. Sorry.

It's funny.  Just last night I thought to myself: "I just LOVE the family interactions."

I can see how they could be annoying if you're not charmed.  Luckily for me, I'm charmed

If this goes on for many more months, I think the family will get better at it. 

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, Lifesabeach said:

Robert DeNiro 💜. So articulate and astute.  

I can totally see him playing Governor Cuomo, too :D. 

On that note, I really liked the interview with Cuomo last night. Particularly his whole thing about how this shouldn't be a partisan issue. 

[Harry24]

23 hours ago, Annber03 said:

I really liked the interview with Cuomo last night. 

I think the Governor's been doing a great job, but I think he should leave comedy to the experts.  He's no Obama in that regard.

[Rai]

I love his interactions with his family. A million years ago, I got to go to a Colbert Report taping, and the warm-up guy was very clear on Stephen needing the audience energy to really fuel him up during the show. So being without an audience must be super difficult, and if he can get a reaction out of a family member who's used to him night and day, that has to be helpful for him. Plus, they are indeed charming, particularly how he and his wife interacts.

Speaking of charming, I loved him and Stephen King discussing Lord of the Rings. I would happily listen to a celebrity intellectual panel discussion about Tolkein all day.

[tvchick]

On 4/18/2020 at 6:49 AM, tvchick said:

I think that the plan is to release a film of the last Broadway performance of the original Hamilton cast, with it scheduled for 2021. Maybe they should consider moving it up.

Updating to add the news today that the film will debut on Disney Plus this July 3!  Wish that there could be a fundraising aspect to it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/12/movies/hamilton-movie-disney-plus.html

[Annber03]

Stephen's impression of Bernie singing Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Give it Away" entertained me greatly :D. 

Also, "intimate occasions". LOL. 

[shapeshifter]

Dear Stephen, 
I hope to never again see your bare, "criss-crossed" legs and feet on my TV.
Would you like me to send you some yoga pants and slipper-socks for your Let Stephen Colbert Homeschool Your Kids bit?
Sincerely,
Your fan shapeshifter
(image of Stephen's bare legs in spoiler tags)

Spoiler

 

Edited May 14, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Ohwell]

22 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Dear Stephen, 
I hope to never again see your bare, "criss-crossed" legs and feet on my TV.
Would you like me to send you some yoga pants and slipper-socks for your Let Stephen Colbert Homeschool Your Kids bit?
Sincerely,
Your fan shapeshifter
(image of Stephen's bare legs in spoiler tags)

  Hide contents

 

I watched his show last night and I was thinking the same thing about those bare legs and feet!  Just. Ugh.

[ahisma]

Wow, totally opposite for me. He has nice-looking legs and feet. My main thought was that I appreciate he’s maintaining his flexibility!

Loved him bringing in Jon and NDT for kid answers. 

[shapeshifter]

6 hours ago, ahisma said:

Wow, totally opposite for me. He has nice-looking legs and feet. My main thought was that I appreciate he’s maintaining his flexibility!

Objectively, all of that is true. But still….  
No. 
 

[gatopretoNYC]

They're legs and feet! What's the big whoop?

[gatopretoNYC]

Stephen was the guest on Watch What Happens Live tonight, enjoying espresso martinis while doing so. 😎🍸

[Annber03]

Okay, well, I'll never hear "Right Here Waiting" quite the same way again, show, thanks :p. 

 

[roseha]

I wasn't able to watch the entire show on Stephen's birthday - my cable was down and my internet stopped - but I loved his comment about being another year more "at risk".  It reminded me that I have a birthday in less than two months, and I wonder if we will still be on pause in NYC then also.  I wouldn't at all rule it out.

Loved the kid's question segment, I was particularly glad they included the little kid on the piano so Jon could respond.

[DrSparkles]

Christine Baranski is FABULOUS.

[shapeshifter]

I fell asleep just as Lithgow was being introduced, so I just watched his surprisingly inspiring interview now —after I’ve been in a funk today. 
And both Lithgow and Baranski had the most flattering Zoom lighting down. Bravo!

Edited May 16, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Victor the Crab]

I was hoping John Lithgow would do his Rudy impersonation. I guess we've been spoiled by it.

[Annber03]

I loved that interview with Lithgow. He's a national treasure :). 

[ABay]

N/M, found it.

Edited May 18, 2020 by ABay

[Annber03]

Oh, good lord, the bit about the sex dolls in the "Quarantine-while" segment. I'm dying. "How do you order that many dolls and not realize they're sex dolls?!"

And yes, that South Carolina restaurant with the creepy dolls definitely sounds like a perfect setting for a southern Gothic kind of story. Wow. 

Edited May 19, 2020 by Annber03

[ABay]

SuperSavior and St. Luke's Splash Down made me laugh out loud.

[Annber03]

4 hours ago, ABay said:

SuperSavior and St. Luke's Splash Down made me laugh out loud.

I would honestly go on St. Luke's Splash Down :D. 

[buttersister]

Geez, Gayle KIng is obnoxious.

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, buttersister said:

Geez, Gayle KIng is obnoxious.

mostly just the way she was saying the word COVID like it was a person. 🙄

[shapeshifter]

Just saw the Amy Sedaris interview. The crafting was a dud, IMO, but we catch a glimpse of Stephen's son and see that he has his father's silky, dark hair. Similar voice too. I did love that Amy still had a pin Stephen had made for her from some beach pottery decades ago. 

 

[MaryMitch]

21 hours ago, buttersister said:

Geez, Gayle KIng is obnoxious.

Different strokes, I guess; I was just thinking that was an interesting and enjoyable interview.

[SoMuchTV]

22 hours ago, buttersister said:

Geez, Gayle KIng is obnoxious.

I really haven't paid enough attention to her to know what her baseline is, but she did seem a little highly caffeinated.  But on the other hand, if I were an extrovert sheltering at home alone 24x7  (which I'm definitely not - why are all these people in my house ALL THE TIME???) I  can see why she's ready to put on her outside clothes and be a little extra.

[Rai]

Sometimes, I sit in total rage about the president and think venomous thoughts toward him. And then I watch Colbert and see someone who REALLY loathes Trump. It's nice not to feel alone there.

I am starting to get a wee bit worried about his cocktailing though. Is that just me?

[possibilities]

I've thought he's seemed worn out all week, and the show has taken a noticeable dive in terms of looking like he's not even bothering anymore. I hope they take a break or get it together, because it's painful to watch.

And what is this new thing they're doing, of spending the beginning of the show acting like they're not aware they're on camera yet, and he's talking to his son about nothing (not even small talk, but "ready? okay?") -- I don't need to waste time with that.

Sigh. Staying home is wearing on all of us, but I don't want to watch people just give up.

I thought Gayle King seemed human, she was chattering but it didn't annoy me.

I always find Amy Sedaris irritating, though.

[lookeyloo]

I don’t know much about Stephen personally but upthread someone went to a taping and said they were told Stephen feeds off the energy of the audience so my armchair impression is that the lack of audience is affecting his performance and maybe his overall mood.  

[MaryMitch]

5 hours ago, Rai said:

Sometimes, I sit in total rage about the president and think venomous thoughts toward him. And then I watch Colbert and see someone who REALLY loathes Trump. It's nice not to feel alone there.

I am starting to get a wee bit worried about his cocktailing though. Is that just me?

About the cocktails: I've noticed it too, but maybe it's just that we rarely see talk show hosts drink anyway. I think he's professional enough to know when he's overdoing it. (I hope!)

42 minutes ago, lookeyloo said:

I don’t know much about Stephen personally but upthread someone went to a taping and said they were told Stephen feeds off the energy of the audience so my armchair impression is that the lack of audience is affecting his performance and maybe his overall mood.  

Some hosts seem to do better than others. Maybe it's the delivery, or the pausing between jokes. I don't think Stephen has done a lot of standup, which is probably better preparation for a non-responsive audience. Trevor Noah on The Daily Show seems to be better at delivering the jokes without an audience.

[ruby24]

I was just thinking, even now that states are reopening, mass gatherings aren't going to happen for a long time, and a studio audience at a late night show counts as one of those, right? 

Even when stuff reopens, are these kinds of shows coming back?

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, ruby24 said:

I was just thinking, even now that states are reopening, mass gatherings aren't going to happen for a long time, and a studio audience at a late night show counts as one of those, right? 

Even when stuff reopens, are these kinds of shows coming back?

There are currently “stages” of “opening” here in Illinois, including one that allows 10 “unrelated” people to “gather.” Given a similar protocol:

• Do they need more than 8 crew to film Stephen and a guest?
• How important is the sale of tickets to keeping the theater lights on?
• What would it cost to put up plexiglass dividers In the audience seating, and
• …would plexiglass dividers be a literal show stopper?
• What else am I (i.e., TPTB) not considering?

[ahisma]

5 hours ago, possibilities said:

And what is this new thing they're doing, of spending the beginning of the show acting like they're not aware they're on camera yet, and he's talking to his son about nothing (not even small talk, but "ready? okay?") -- I don't need to waste time with that.

During his theater-based show he was often making comments away from the camera to Jon, the audience, various crew. This feels much the same—part of his regular “thing,” and it makes it feel familiar to me. 

[freddi]

On 5/18/2020 at 9:02 PM, Annber03 said:

Oh, good lord, the bit about the sex dolls in the "Quarantine-while" segment. I'm dying. "How do you order that many dolls and not realize they're sex dolls?!"

And yes, that South Carolina restaurant with the creepy dolls definitely sounds like a perfect setting for a southern Gothic kind of story. Wow. 

When Stephen said, so, this guy needed the 1940s-style clothing BUT ALREADY HAD THE MANNEQUINS -- then leaned into the camera and whispered "GET OUT of there!!!"  It was hilarious, but also reminded me of a movie moment I quickly recalled, in "Dave," where Charles Grodin is brought in to do undercover work on the budgets, and leans into Kevin Kline at the end of the visit and whispers "GET. OUT. of here!!!"  Same inflections.  

Loved Christine Baranski.  And if you have not seen the Sondheim birthday performance, go find it tonight.  Fabulous.

I am a new viewer to Colbert, but now have to see his take on the day's bizarre news each night.  Thank you.  I hope he can keep this up.  

[Annber03]

27 minutes ago, freddi said:

I am a new viewer to Colbert, but now have to see his take on the day's bizarre news each night.  Thank you.  I hope he can keep this up.  

Welcome :)! Hope you continue to enjoy the show and join in the discussion here. 

[ebk57]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

There are currently “stages” of “opening” here in Illinois, including one that allows 10 “unrelated” people to “gather.” Given a similar protocol:

• Do they need more than 8 crew to film Stephen and a guest?
• How important is the sale of tickets to keeping the theater lights on?
• What would it cost to put up plexiglass dividers In the audience seating, and
• …would plexiglass dividers be a literal show stopper?
• What else am I (i.e., TPTB) not considering?

The only question I know the answer to is - the tickets are free, so they are not depending on ticket sale revenue to keep the theatre open.   That said, they could probably only seat half the place and there would still be a decent reaction to the show, so I would skip the plexiglass thing.  The theatre is too beautiful to mess up.   Also, I'm pretty sure there are more than 8 people needed to put on a show.  Hell, there are 8 people in the band (maybe...) - and if we go back into the theatre, we need the band! 

I don't think NYC is even thinking of opening anything up again soon, so this won't be a pressing issue (unfortunately). 

[Annber03]

11 hours ago, possibilities said:

I've thought he's seemed worn out all week

I think a large part of that is because the news has been so freaking depressing and infuriating recently that it's hard to really find much comedy in it. His monologues this week have been about some especially awful and frustrating stuff, so... Hard to really get back into happy mode after that. 

That said, tonight's interview with Biden was a good way to end n a more positive note. Hearing him say that we'll be all right at the end of the interview actually honestly made me feel a little better. 

[Tosia]

I'm sorry,  I love Colbert from way back.  But this show is fucking BORING!!!!

He pauses after every statement for imaginary audience laughs. It's like slow WIFI. 

And frankly,  his writers need to step it up. Not so funny. 

Plus Stephen seems down, sad. Get help man.

You would think as an improv expert he could turn on the pep for the cameras. 

I love Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart and always will, but, dude, turn it up a notch or 10. 

 

[ABay]

Stephen needs an audience and I've been wondering if they could do the show outside with a limited audience, in a local park maybe.